India’s Pinaka Deal with Armenia and the Course of War with Azerbaijan

One of its old partners and sponsors, Turkey, has backed Azerbaijan, as has Israel. A large number ofTurkish Bayraktar and Israeli kamikaze drones have shifted the tide in Azerbaijan’s favour during the 2020
clash between the two nations. Russia has been a source of help for Armenia on numerous occasions, but due to Moscow’s focus on the conflict in Ukraine, it has been scarce. Dealing with India for rocket systemsand additional armament would be a lifeline for a beleaguered Armenia.

Sep 30, 2022

New Delhi: India has decided to export missiles, rockets, and ammunition, including its own Pinaka multi-barrel
rocket launchers, as Armenia struggles to control an uptick in violence with Azerbaijan in a fresh escalation of
hostilities, The Economic Times reported.
The system was included on a list of Indian exports released in February 2021.
Armed with agreements from the two nations to send weapons and ammunition to Armenia earlier this month,
the Ministry of Defense approved the shipment of arms through a government-to-government route.
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Pinaka

Named after the celestial bow of Hindu God Shiva, Pinaka, a multi-barrel rocket system (MBRL) in its core, with a
salvo launch time of 44 seconds for 12 rockets. It is a long-range artillery system developed and manufactured
indigenously.
Six launchers, loader systems, radar, linkages to network-based systems, and a command post make up one
Pinaka system battery.
Like its namesake that destroyed three cities, as per Hindu religious text, a single battery of Pinaka can neutralise
one square kilometre region. Launchers must “shoot and scoot” to avoid becoming targets themselves in longrange
artillery engagement, especially because of the back blast.
Prior to close-quarter combat involving infantry, armoured units, and artillery with shorter ranges, pinaka is
employed on the battlefield to strike enemy targets.

Pinaka for Armenia

Israel and Turkey, Azerbaijan’s longtime allies and partisans, have backed the country. Baku used a large number
of Turkish Bayraktar and Israeli kamikaze drones to shift the tide in its favour during the 2020 clash between the
two nations.
Russia has been a source of help for Armenia on numerous occasions, but due to Moscow’s focus on the conflict
in Ukraine, it has been scarce. A contract with India for missile systems and more armament might prove to be a
lifeline for a beleaguered Armenia in the face of escalating hostilities and limited military assistance.
Along with the Pinaka, India will also provide Armenia with anti-tank missiles and a range of ammunition as part of
the package deal. These weapons’ full capabilities have not yet been made public.
This is not the first time we have given Armenia weaponry. In a $40 million defence deal with Armenia in 2020 that
will give it four homegrown SWATHI counter-battery radars, India triumphed over Poland and Russia.
The conflict
Tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians from both sides have lost their lives in a prolonged Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict.
The latest clash has been the most recent in the long line of hostilities over the disputed Nagorno Karabakh region.
The Nagorno Karabakh region is the source of conflict between the two erstwhile Soviet republics. International
recognition of a hilly and forested region as belonging to Azerbaijan. However, it is ruled by the Nagorno-Karabakh
government, which is autonomous but not recognised.

Courtesy: Mirror Now